Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (A-PVP, α-PVP), popularly known as "flakka," is a synthetic cathinone and pyrrolidine stimulant that became notorious in the early-to-mid 2010s for a wave of violent and bizarre incidents in the United States, particularly Florida. It is one of the most extensively documented designer stimulants in terms of adverse psychiatric and social outcomes, and represents a cautionary case study in the potential consequences of designer drug proliferation.
A-PVP is a potent, selective norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) comparable in potency to MDPV — the most potent cathinone documented in scientific literature. Unlike amphetamine or methcathinone, A-PVP does not act as a transporter substrate and does not cause active neurotransmitter release; it blocks dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, producing sustained elevated synaptic concentrations. Reddit community knowledge reflects that users seeking the "most euphoric stim" frequently encounter A-PVP, and that questions about why compounds like A-PVP and MDPV cause psychosis are common — reflecting the real-world pattern of psychiatric sequelae.
The defining harm of A-PVP is its extreme compulsive redosing potential and the associated stimulant psychosis. Community experience describes an experience that begins with powerful euphoria and focus but rapidly — within a single session for some users — deteriorates into compulsive use cycles characterized by paranoia, hallucinations, and escalating dysfunction. The "gift from God" framing that appears in community discussion captures the seductive initial quality that makes the subsequent compulsive spiral so dangerous. One community account of stimulant psychosis after a 12-hour compulsive redosing binge illustrates the canonical harm pattern: the initial euphoric rush gives way to a nightmare of paranoia and dysphoria that continues to be chased through redosing.
A-PVP is one of the highest-risk substances in the novel stimulant class. Its combination of extreme potency, short duration of peak effects, powerful compulsive potential, and severe psychiatric risk profile places it alongside MDPV at the apex of the cathinone harm spectrum.
Safety at a Glance
High Risk- A Substance Requiring Extraordinary Caution
- Test Your Substance
- Toxicity: Cardiovascular Toxicity A-PVP produces marked sympathomimetic cardiovascular effects: elevated heart rate, significan...
- Dangerous with: 25x-NBOH, 25x-NBOMe, Atropa belladonna, Datura, MDMA (+3 more)
- Overdose risk: overdoses caused by combinations of drugs. α-PVP has also been linked to at least one death where...
If someone is in crisis, call 911 or Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Dosage
insufflated
oral
smoked
Duration
insufflated
Total: 2 hrs – 5 hrsoral
Total: 2 hrs – 6 hrssmoked
Total: 30 min – 1 hrsHow It Feels
The onset of vaporized A-PVP hits like a freight train. Within seconds, an explosive rush of euphoria tears through the body with a violence that is almost frightening in its intensity. The heart hammers, every muscle clenches, and a flood of dopaminergic ecstasy erases all other sensory input. There is a momentary sense of having been plugged into something vast and electric, a feeling of superhuman power and unlimited possibility that is as dangerous as it is seductive. The speed and magnitude of this rush is essentially unmatched in the cathinone class.
At the peak, lasting only ten to twenty minutes, A-PVP produces a state of frenzied, manic stimulation. Energy pours through the body in overwhelming waves. The mind races at an unsustainable pace, generating plans, ideas, and desires that fragment and scatter before they can be completed. Physical activity becomes compulsive: pacing, gesticulating, disassembling objects, or engaging in repetitive behaviors that feel critically important in the moment. Sexual arousal can become obsessive and all-consuming. The body is under extreme sympathomimetic stress, heart rate and blood pressure are dangerously elevated, body temperature soars, and the risk of cardiac events is at its highest.
The crash is precipitous and brutal. Within minutes of the peak's dissolution, the euphoria is replaced by an agitated, paranoid emptiness that demands immediate redosing. This craving is not a gentle suggestion but a screaming imperative that overrides rational thought. The redose-crash cycle is the defining feature of A-PVP use: each subsequent dose produces less euphoria and more side effects. After several cycles, the stimulation degrades into a toxic, dysphoric overstimulation. Paranoia becomes pervasive and delusional. Auditory and visual hallucinations emerge. The user may become convinced they are being watched, followed, or threatened. Aggressive or erratic behavior can result, a constellation of effects that earned the substance its media notoriety.
When the binge finally ends, the aftermath is devastating. Total physical and psychological exhaustion, profound depression, paranoia that may take days to resolve, cardiovascular strain, and severe sleep disruption characterize the recovery period. Appetite returns with desperate intensity. The psychological toll, a deep sense of having been controlled by something more powerful than willpower, lingers well beyond the physical recovery. Many users describe A-PVP as a substance that taught them the true meaning of compulsion.
Subjective Effects
The effects listed below are based on the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal reports and personal analyses. They should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism. These effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects.
Physical Effects
Physical(18)
- Abnormal heartbeat— Abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) is any deviation from the heart's normal rhythm — including beats th...
- Appetite suppression— A distinct decrease in hunger and desire to eat, ranging from reduced interest in food to complete d...
- Dehydration— A state of insufficient bodily hydration manifesting as persistent thirst, dry mouth, and physical d...
- Difficulty urinating— Difficulty urinating, also known as urinary retention, is the experience of being unable to easily p...
- Dry mouth— A persistent, uncomfortable reduction in saliva production causing the mouth and throat to feel parc...
- Headache— A painful sensation of pressure, throbbing, or aching in the head that can range from a dull backgro...
- Increased blood pressure— Increased blood pressure (hypertension) is an elevation of arterial pressure above the normal 120/80...
- Increased heart rate— A noticeable acceleration of heartbeat that can range from a subtle awareness of one's pulse to a fo...
- Increased libido— A marked enhancement of sexual desire, arousal, and sensitivity to erotic stimuli that can range fro...
- Mouth numbing— Mouth numbing is a localized loss of sensation in the tongue, gums, cheeks, and surrounding oral tis...
- Nystagmus— Rapid, involuntary oscillating movements of the eyes that cause vision to vibrate and blur, often ma...
- Physical euphoria— An intensely pleasurable bodily sensation that can manifest as waves of warmth, tingling electricity...
- Restless legs— Restless legs is an uncomfortable neurological effect characterized by an irresistible compulsion to...
- Seizure— Uncontrolled brain electrical activity causing convulsions and loss of consciousness -- a life-threa...
- Stimulation— A state of heightened physical and mental energy characterized by increased wakefulness, elevated mo...
- Teeth grinding— An involuntary clenching and rhythmic grinding of the jaw muscles, known clinically as bruxism, that...
- Vasoconstriction— A narrowing of blood vessels throughout the body that produces sensations of cold extremities, tingl...
- Vibrating vision— Vibrating vision is the subjective experience of the visual field rapidly oscillating or shaking due...
Tactile(1)
- Tactile enhancement— The sense of touch becomes dramatically heightened, making physical contact feel intensely pleasurab...
Cognitive & Perceptual Effects
Visual(3)
- Brightness alteration— Perceived increase or decrease in environmental brightness beyond actual illumination levels, common...
- Drifting— The visual experience of perceiving stationary objects, textures, and surfaces as appearing to flow,...
- Visual acuity suppression— Vision becomes blurred, indistinct, and out of focus, as though looking through a smudged lens. Fine...
Cognitive(22)
- Analysis enhancement— A perceived improvement in one's ability to logically deconstruct concepts, recognize patterns, and ...
- Anxiety— Intense feelings of apprehension, worry, and dread that can range from a subtle background unease to...
- Cognitive euphoria— A cognitive and emotional state of intense well-being, elation, happiness, and joy that manifests as...
- Cognitive fatigue— Mental exhaustion and difficulty sustaining thought after intense cognitive experiences, common duri...
- Compulsive redosing— An overwhelming, difficult-to-resist urge to continuously take more of a substance in order to maint...
- Delusion— A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is held with unshakeable certainty and is impervious to con...
- Depression— A persistent state of low mood, emotional numbness, hopelessness, and diminished interest or pleasur...
- Disinhibition— A marked reduction in social inhibitions, self-consciousness, and behavioral restraint that manifest...
- Dream potentiation— Enhanced dream vividness, complexity, and recall, often occurring as REM rebound after discontinuing...
- Ego inflation— Grandiose overconfidence and inflated self-importance, opposite of ego death, commonly produced by s...
- Feelings of impending doom— Feelings of impending doom is the sudden onset of an overwhelming, visceral certainty that something...
- Focus enhancement— An enhanced ability to direct and sustain attention on a single task or stimulus with unusual clarit...
- Immersion enhancement— A heightened capacity to become fully absorbed and engrossed in external media such as music, films,...
- Irritability— Irritability is a sustained state of emotional reactivity in which the threshold for annoyance, frus...
- Motivation enhancement— A heightened sense of drive, ambition, and willingness to accomplish tasks, making productive effort...
- Motivation suppression— Motivation suppression is a state of diminished drive and willingness to engage in goal-directed beh...
- Paranoia— Irrational suspicion and belief that others are watching, plotting against, or intending harm toward...
- Psychosis— Psychosis is a serious psychiatric state involving a fundamental break from consensus reality — char...
- Thought acceleration— The experience of thoughts occurring at a dramatically increased rate, as if the mind has been shift...
- Thought deceleration— The experience of thoughts occurring at a markedly reduced pace, as if the mind has been placed into...
- Time distortion— Subjective perception of time becomes dramatically altered — minutes may feel like hours, or hours p...
- Wakefulness— An increased ability to stay awake and alert without the desire to sleep. Distinct from stimulation ...
Auditory(3)
- Auditory distortion— Auditory distortion is the experience of sounds becoming warped, pitch-shifted, flanged, or otherwis...
- Auditory hallucination— Auditory hallucination is the perception of sounds that have no external source — hearing music, voi...
- Auditory misinterpretation— Auditory misinterpretation is the brief, spontaneous misidentification of real sounds as entirely di...
Multi-sensory(1)
- Scenarios and plots— Scenarios and plots are the narrative structures that emerge within hallucinatory states — coherent ...
Pharmacology
Mechanism of Action
A-PVP acts as a potent and selective norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). It binds to the dopamine transporter (DAT) and norepinephrine transporter (NET), blocking the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine from the synapse into presynaptic neurons. The result is sustained elevation of synaptic dopamine and norepinephrine concentrations, producing the stimulant and euphoric effects.
A-PVP is notably more potent as an NDRI than classical stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamine. Comparative pharmacological studies have shown A-PVP to be a more potent inhibitor of DAT and NET than cocaine at equivalent concentrations, which in part explains why the subjective potency and addictive potential exceed those of cocaine in user accounts.
Transporter Substrate vs. Reuptake Inhibitor
A critical pharmacological distinction: A-PVP is NOT a transporter substrate. It does not cause active neurotransmitter release in the manner of amphetamine or methcathinone. This means A-PVP cannot deplete vesicular neurotransmitter stores and does not produce the characteristic "amphetamine-like" release pattern. However, this does not confer a safety advantage — the sustained high-affinity reuptake blockade produces its own pattern of intense dopaminergic signaling.
Serotonin Selectivity
A-PVP has minimal activity at the serotonin transporter (SERT). This pharmacological selectivity — potent DAT/NET inhibition with negligible SERT activity — explains the purely stimulant/euphoric character of the experience and the absence of entactogenic qualities. It also means there is no serotonergic "ceiling" on the dopaminergic stimulation, which may contribute to psychosis risk.
Pharmacokinetics
A-PVP is active at milligram doses. When vaporized, onset is within seconds; insufflated onset is 3–5 minutes. Peak effects are brief — 30–60 minutes — followed by a rapid descent that drives redosing. The total duration per administration is typically 1–3 hours, though residual stimulation and dysphoria extend considerably beyond peak effects.
Tolerance
Tolerance develops rapidly, often within a single extended use session, creating pressure to escalate dose and frequency.
Detection Methods
Standard Drug Panel Inclusion
Alpha-PVP is a substituted cathinone (synthetic cathinone) that is not included on standard 5-panel or 10-panel immunoassay drug screens. Some extended panels (particularly those marketed for "bath salts" detection) may include cross-reactive antibodies for the cathinone class, but coverage is inconsistent. The structural relationship to amphetamine means some cathinones trigger the amphetamine channel on immunoassays, but this is compound-specific and unreliable for Alpha-PVP.
Urine Detection
Alpha-PVP and its metabolites can typically be detected in urine for 2 to 4 days following a single dose. Repeated or binge-pattern use may extend this window to 5 or more days. Primary metabolic pathways involve reduction of the beta-keto group, N-dealkylation, and hydroxylation. The resulting metabolites are excreted renally, often as glucuronide or sulfate conjugates.
Blood and Saliva Detection
Blood detection windows for Alpha-PVP range from 12 to 48 hours depending on dose and individual metabolism. Plasma concentrations decline rapidly due to extensive distribution into tissues. Oral fluid testing can detect Alpha-PVP for approximately 24 to 48 hours but is not commonly deployed for synthetic cathinones outside of specialized forensic settings.
Hair Follicle Detection
Hair analysis can detect synthetic cathinones including Alpha-PVP for up to 90 days. Incorporation into the hair shaft follows standard pharmacokinetic principles for basic amines. However, most commercial hair testing panels do not specifically target Alpha-PVP, requiring custom LC-MS/MS methods with appropriate reference standards.
Confirmatory Testing
Definitive identification of Alpha-PVP requires instrumental analysis. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is the preferred method for synthetic cathinones due to their thermal lability, which can cause degradation during gas chromatography. GC-MS remains usable but may require derivatization for optimal sensitivity. Reference standards specific to Alpha-PVP are necessary for quantitative confirmation.
Reagent Testing
Marquis reagent typically produces no reaction or a faint yellow-orange color with Alpha-PVP. Mecke reagent may show no significant color change. Mandelin reagent can produce a yellow to brown reaction. The lack of strong, characteristic color reactions with common reagents makes cathinone identification by reagent testing alone unreliable. A combination of Marquis, Mecke, Mandelin, and Simon's reagents can help rule out other substance classes but cannot positively confirm Alpha-PVP.
Interactions
| Substance | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 25x-NBOH | Dangerous | — |
| 25x-NBOMe | Dangerous | — |
| Atropa belladonna | Dangerous | Extreme cardiovascular strain from anticholinergic and stimulant effects combined |
| Datura | Dangerous | Extreme cardiovascular strain from anticholinergic and stimulant effects combined |
| Diphenhydramine | Dangerous | Extreme cardiovascular strain from anticholinergic and stimulant effects combined |
| Harmala alkaloid | Dangerous | Risk of hypertensive crisis and serotonin syndrome; potentially fatal combination |
| Peganum harmala | Dangerous | Risk of hypertensive crisis and serotonin syndrome; potentially fatal combination |
| MDMA | Unsafe | — |
| 1,3-Butanediol | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 25E-NBOH | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 2C-T | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 2C-T-2 | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 2C-T-21 | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| Alcohol | Uncertain | — |
| Dissociatives | Uncertain | — |
History
Origins
A-PVP belongs to the pyrrolidine cathinone class — synthetic modifications of naturally occurring cathinone — developed in the mid-20th century but brought to market prominence through clandestine synthesis in the 2000s. It was developed as a designer drug successor to MDPV and the earlier pyrrolidine cathinones following their regulatory scheduling in various jurisdictions.
The Flakka Epidemic (2014–2016)
A-PVP achieved global notoriety during a concentrated outbreak of use in South Florida between 2014 and 2016. Broward County, Florida, became the epicenter of what was described in the media as a "flakka epidemic," with hundreds of emergency department presentations linked to A-PVP-induced psychosis. Widely-circulated videos and news reports documented individuals in states of extreme agitation, aggression, and paranoid delusion — including individuals who believed they were being attacked by animals or were running through traffic — that became associated with the "flakka" name in public consciousness.
The Florida outbreak was linked in part to the low cost of A-PVP (reported to sell for as little as $5 per dose), its easy availability through online vendors, and the vaporization route of administration that produced rapid, intense effects accessible even to those without injectable drug use experience.
Regulatory Response
A-PVP was placed into Schedule I in the United States in 2014 via emergency scheduling, followed by permanent scheduling. Many other countries followed with analogous controls. Like A-PHP and other structural analogs, the regulatory response led to the emergence of closely related successor compounds but did substantially reduce the availability of A-PVP specifically in the US market.
Scientific Legacy
The A-PVP/flakka episode was significant for generating a substantial body of pharmacological and clinical research on the pyrrolidine cathinone class, contributing to understanding of the relationship between NDRI potency, dopaminergic hyperactivation, and stimulant psychosis risk.
Harm Reduction
A Substance Requiring Extraordinary Caution
A-PVP's harm profile is severe enough that meaningful harm reduction requires beginning with an honest assessment: this substance carries a substantially higher risk of severe addiction, psychosis, and fatality than the vast majority of recreational drugs. If you are considering using A-PVP, understanding these risks fully is the first harm reduction step.
Test Your Substance
Reagent testing is essential. Mecke reagent produces blue-green to black with cathinones; Marquis produces orange to brown with A-PVP. Test for fentanyl contamination with fentanyl test strips.
Dose Extremely Carefully
A-PVP is among the most potent stimulants available on the research chemical market:
- Use a milligram-precise scale (0.001g); volumetric dosing in solution is preferred
- Active doses are measured in single milligrams — even small errors carry risk
- Vaporizing makes dose control particularly difficult; overconsumption happens easily and rapidly
Compulsive Redosing — The Central Hazard
Every community account of serious A-PVP harm involves compulsive redosing. No harm reduction strategy eliminates this risk, but some approaches reduce it:
- Hard, pre-set limits: decide on total dose and dose count before any use, and treat them as inviolable
- External accountability: use with a trusted, sober person who has authority to physically remove the substance
- Time-lock storage: place remaining material in a timed lockbox, out of immediate reach
- Do not use alone: isolation facilitates the escalation of compulsive use
Avoid Binge Use Absolutely
Extended binge use is where life-threatening and life-altering harm occurs. The pharmacological structure of A-PVP — short peak, rapid tolerance, intense dopaminergic signaling — is practically designed to produce binges. Any use strategy that does not include strict safeguards against extension into multi-dose sessions should be considered inadequate.
Dangerous Combinations
- MAOIs: Absolutely contraindicated — risk of hypertensive crisis
- Other stimulants: Multiplicative cardiovascular and psychiatric risk
- Cannabis: High risk of triggering paranoia and exacerbating psychosis
- Alcohol: Masks warning signs of toxicity
If Psychosis Develops
This is a medical emergency. The person should be moved to a calm, safe environment. Benzodiazepines reduce agitation safely. Call emergency services if the person is violent, in physical danger, or symptoms are severe. Do not leave a psychotic individual alone.
Toxicity & Safety
Cardiovascular Toxicity
A-PVP produces marked sympathomimetic cardiovascular effects: elevated heart rate, significant blood pressure increases, peripheral vasoconstriction, and risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Deaths from cardiovascular events attributable to A-PVP have been reported in case series from multiple countries. Individuals with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or arrhythmias face particularly elevated risk.
Stimulant Psychosis and Psychiatric Emergency
Stimulant psychosis is the most clinically prominent and publicly documented risk associated with A-PVP. Numerous published case reports and the mainstream media coverage of "flakka" incidents documented a consistent syndrome: paranoid delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, extreme agitation, aggression, and hyperthermia. In the Florida epidemic period (2014–2015), emergency departments in Broward County reported hundreds of A-PVP-related psychiatric presentations. The mechanism is believed to involve the overwhelming, sustained dopaminergic hyperactivation associated with binge use combined with severe sleep deprivation.
Hyperthermia
Severe hyperthermia is a direct risk of A-PVP use, particularly during physical exertion or in hot environments. Body temperatures in excess of 40°C (104°F) have been documented in A-PVP-related emergency presentations, with associated rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, and death.
Addiction and Severe Compulsive Use
A-PVP has among the highest documented addiction liability of any known research chemical stimulant. Animal studies show self-administration rates exceeding those of cocaine. Community accounts and clinical case reports consistently document rapid progression from recreational use to compulsive use, loss of control, and severe personal consequences.
Drug Interactions
- MAOIs: Risk of hypertensive crisis; absolutely contraindicated
- Other stimulants: Additive cardiovascular and psychosis risk
- Alcohol: Masks toxicity signs, increases cardiovascular strain
- Lithium: Potential for seizures
Fatality Risk
Multiple fatalities attributable directly or indirectly to A-PVP have been documented in the medical literature and medicolegal databases, including cardiovascular events, hyperthermia-related death, and trauma associated with psychosis.
Addiction Potential
highly addictive with a high potential for abuse
Overdose Information
overdoses caused by combinations of drugs. α-PVP has also been linked to at least one death where it was combined with pentedrone and caused heart failure.
It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this substance.
As with other stimulants, the chronic use of α-highly addictive with a high potential for abuse and is capable of causing psychological dependence among certain users. When addiction has developed, cravings and withdrawal effects may occur if a person suddenly stops their usage.
Tolerance to many of the effects of α-develops with prolonged and repeated use. This results in users having to administer increasingly large doses to achieve the same effects. After that,3 - 71 - 2 weeks to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). α-PVP produces cross-tolerance with Cross-all dopaminergic stimulants, meaning that after the consumption of α-PVP all stimulants will have a reduced effect.
α-PVP, like other stimulants, can result in a stimulant psychosis that may present with a variety of symptoms (e.g., paranoia, hallucinations, or delusions). A review on treatment for amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and methamphetamine abuse-induced psychosis states that about 5–15% of users fail to recover completely. The same review asserts that, based upon at least one trial, antipsychotic medications effectively resolve the symptoms of acute amphetamine psychosis.
- Australia: α-PVP made illegal in New South Wales after it was illegally marketed with the imprimatur of erroneous legal advice that it was not encompassed by analog provisions of the relevant act. It is encompassed by those provisions, and therefore has been illegal for many years in New South Wales. The legislative action fo
Dangerous Interactions
The combinations listed below may be life-threatening. Independent research should always be conducted to ensure safety when combining substances.
Extreme cardiovascular strain from anticholinergic and stimulant effects combined
Extreme cardiovascular strain from anticholinergic and stimulant effects combined
Extreme cardiovascular strain from anticholinergic and stimulant effects combined
Risk of hypertensive crisis and serotonin syndrome; potentially fatal combination
Risk of hypertensive crisis and serotonin syndrome; potentially fatal combination
Tolerance
| Full | develops with prolonged and repeated use |
| Half | 3 - 7 days |
| Zero | 1 - 2 weeks |
Cross-tolerances
Legal Status
In June 2016, the European Council decided that α-PVP shall be subjected by the Member States to control measures and criminal penalties by July 3, 2017.
Australia: α-PVP made illegal in New South Wales after it was illegally marketed with the imprimatur of erroneous legal advice that it was not encompassed by analog provisions of the relevant act. It is encompassed by those provisions, and therefore has been illegal for many years in New South Wales. The legislative action followed the death of two individuals from using it.
Austria: Since June 26, 2019, α-PVP is illegal to possess, produce and sell under the SMG. (Suchtmittelgesetz Österreich)
Belgium: α-PVP is a controlled substance.
Brazil: Possession, production and sale is illegal as it is listed on Portaria SVS/MS nº 344.
China: As of October 2015, α-PVP is a controlled substance in China.
Cyprus: α-PVP is a controlled under the New Psychoactive Substances Legislation as of June 24, 2011.
Czech Republic: α-PVP is a controlled substance.
Estonia: α-PVP is listed in Regulation No. 73 as of June 2, 2014.
Finland: α-PVP is listed in the Narcotics Act 373 as of December 30, 2013.
France: α-PVP is a controlled substance as of August 2, 2012.
Germany: α-PVP is controlled under Anlage II BtMG (Narcotics Act, Schedule II) as of July 17, 2013. It is illegal to manufacture, possess, import, export, buy, sell, procure or dispense it without a license.
Greece: α-PVP is a controlled substance under law 3459/2006.
Hungary: α-PVP is a Schedule A controlled substance.
Ireland: α-PVP is a controlled substance as it is covered by the generic definition of controlled cathinones.
Italy: α-PVP is a controlled substance as of December 29, 2011.
Latvia: α-PVP is a controlled substance.
Lithuania: α-PVP is a controlled substance since 2010.
Norway: α-PVP is a controlled substance.
Poland: α-PVP is a Schedule IV controlled substance as of July 1, 2015.
Portugal: α-PVP is a controlled substance as of April 17, 2013.
Romania: α-PVP is a controlled substance.
Slovakia: α-PVP is a controlled substance as of October 1, 2013.
Slovenia: α-PVP is a controlled substance since July 2014.
Sweden: α-PVP is controlled under the Narcotic Drugs Control Act as of February 2013.
Switzerland: α-PVP is a controlled substance specifically named under Verzeichnis D.
Turkey: α-PVP is a controlled substance as of March 22, 2012.
United Kingdom: α-PVP is a Class B drug in the United Kingdom as a result of the cathinone catch-all clause.
United States: On January 28, 2014, the U.S. DEA listed α-PVP, along with 9 other synthetic cathinones, on the Schedule 1 with a temporary ban, effective February 27, 2014.
Responsible use
Research chemical
Stimulants
Substituted cathinone
Substituted pyrrolidine
α-PVP (Wikipedia)
α-PVP (Erowid Vault)
α-PVP (Isomer Design)
EMCDDA. (2015). EMCDDA–Europol Joint Report on a new psychoactive substance: 1‐phenyl‐2‐(1‐pyrrolidinyl)‐1‐pentanone (α‐PVP).
Experience Reports (2)
Tips (10)
A-PVP-induced psychosis is not just a media scare story. It reliably occurs with sleep deprivation and binge use. Shadow people, paranoid delusions, and aggressive behavior are extremely common after 24-48 hours of continuous use.
A-PVP is among the most addictive research chemicals available. The euphoric rush from vaping is extremely reinforcing. If you find yourself unable to put the pipe down after your planned session, flush what remains. Seriously.
Have a landing plan for the A-PVP comedown. Prepare food, melatonin or magnesium, and a comfortable environment in advance. Avoid using depressants to manage the comedown as this creates polydrug dependency patterns.
If you choose to use A-PVP, set an absolute hard limit of one session per week maximum, and never exceed 24 hours awake. The psychosis risk compounds dramatically with each additional hour of sleep deprivation.
Weigh your dose of A-PVP with a milligram scale. Street stimulants vary wildly in purity and potency. What looks like a normal amount could be significantly stronger than expected, especially with a new batch.
Do not combine A-PVP with MAOIs or other serotonergic drugs. Many stimulants have serotonergic activity, and combinations can cause serotonin syndrome or hypertensive crisis, both medical emergencies.
Community Discussions (6)
See Also
References (4)
- Amphetamine: new content for an old topic — Heal et al. Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews (2013)paper
- PubChem: A-PVP
PubChem compound page for A-PVP (CID: 11148955)
pubchem - A-PVP - TripSit Factsheet
TripSit factsheet for A-PVP
tripsit - A-PVP - Wikipedia
Wikipedia article on A-PVP
wikipedia